Against the background of widespread
poverty in the land and the dire need to reduce the cost of governance,
President Goodluck Jonathan’s government’s decision to spend billions of naira
on the building of an official residence for the Vice President is most
inappropriate and insensitive. That money can be better spent to fix some of
the country’s decrepit infrastructure, and consequently set the economy on a
recovery path. Importantly too, questions must necessarily be asked as to why
Nigerians should be saddled with building new houses for their leaders each
time the country has new elections, producing new set of leaders. To ignore
these facts and to insist on regular new capital expenditure for official
residences of public officers is insensitive and wasteful.
The president needs to re-order his
priority to ensure that projects that contribute to the economic well-being of
the nation take the front stage; and avoid squandering national resources. What
makes the building of another edifice for the vice president so compelling and
urgent at this point in time when the country is reeling under the yoke of poor
network of roads and epileptic power supply that have increased the cost of
production and led to the closure of several companies with the attendant loss
of jobs, which in turn breeds insecurity in the polity? Where did the vice
president’s predecessors in office live in all their years in that office?
Where did President Jonathan himself live when he was vice president of
Nigeria? What now makes the same residence unsuitable for the
current VP? The house project is nothing but profligacy of the worst kind.
President Jonathan ought not to lend
himself to wasteful projects. Sadly, he has done this too often lately, much
out of tune with his humble background and his own inspiring life story, with
it, a story he deployed to great advantage in his campaign for office. What
Nigerians see now is a radical departure from his solemn promise to stay true
to his roots and do right by Nigerians.
The approval for the vice president’s
official residence is coming at a time the government has just approved N2.2
billion for a banquet hall for Aso Villa, even though there is one in
place. What value does a banquet hall add to the life of majority of
Nigerians? Is the essence of government not the happiness of the majority? Have
the ordinary people of Nigeria not made enough sacrifice for the comfort of
their leaders, considering the amount of money voted for their maintenance?
It is also disturbing that in 2011, N18
billion was appropriated for the maintenance of presidential planes when
Nigerians were resigning themselves to fate due to worsening economic
situation. This year again, and as if the opinion of Nigerians does not matter,
the President got another N1.9 billion for the purchase of an additional plane
amidst the notorious fact of an already over-bloated presidential fleet; and
when more buoyant nations are reducing the number of aircraft in their
presidential fleet. The same President asked for and obtained the sum of N1.96
billion as entertainment and food allowance in 2012; and N1.5 billion for
guest-houses for members of the ruling class.
Where then is a thought for the average
Nigerian? In what way is the government impacting on the lives of ordinary
citizens? Or is government not for all Nigerians? At this time, every
government in the world is cutting down drastically on expenditure.
Regrettably, the reverse is the case in Nigeria where wasteful expenditure on a
grandiose scale is the order of the day. High cost of governance increases
poverty among Nigerians. That Nigerians are poor today is traceable to the
unending profligacy of the government at all levels. Already, 73 per cent of
annual budget goes to recurrent expenditure, leaving less than 30 per cent for
the building of roads and other critical infrastructure.
President Jonathan should draw lessons
from his counterparts who jettison opulence and ostentation in solidarity with
the masses of their people who have been dehumanized by poverty. In Nigeria,
the problems that require urgent and decisive attention are legion. They
include mass unemployment, insecurity, epileptic power supply, lack of potable
water, bad roads and decrepit infrastructure. Money spent on
these, to make life more abundant for the generality of the people, will be
money well spent.
Governments earn the confidence of the
people when their mood and expenditure patterns reflect the economic reality of
the time.
The citizens will easily identify with
such a government and see it as theirs. The President can also remain the
Jonathan of Nigeria for all times and purposes.
Culled
from The Guardian.
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